Institutional Repository | Satya Wacana Christian University: English Departments Students' Perspectives Toward the Role of First Language in Their Guided Writing

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVES TOWARD THE ROLE OF FIRST
LANGUAGE IN THEIR GUIDED WRITING
Finna Kristiningrum
Abstract

Pro and cons of L1 use in L2 writing have been debated for many years. On the one hand, L1
was very advantageous to make L2 learning easier. On the other hand, L1caused errors in L2
learning. However, L1 use was still questionable whether beginner learners needed their L1 to
support L2 learning. Inspired by the pros and cons, this study was held to explore English
Department students’ perspectives toward the role of L1 in their guided writing. There were 15
English Department students of Satya Wacana University who have passed guided writing
course. They were chosen randomly and they were interviewed using unstructured interview
method. The finding showed students’ positive responses toward L1 use. They used their L1 to
generate idea, help vocabulary learning, develop content on a certain topic, and improve the
quality of writing creatively. Despite the positive roles, the students often made grammatical
errors due to L1 use.
Keywords :first language, language transfer, positives roles, negative roles